Electrical component and connector



Dec. 1, 1959 L. E. TICE ETAL 2,915,712

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AND CONNECTOR- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 31. 1956 Dec. 1, 1959 L. E. TICE ETAL 2,915,712.

ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AND CONNECTOR Filed May 31. 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M /2 ,I I.

4 .1M Lu- 6 MUM- 02/ In; W Q

. j I my, :27

0% .jzce, W7 ,4 1

4 1. I f l6 United States Patent ELECTRICAL COMPONENT AND CONNECTOR Leroy E. Tice, Skokie, and Walter H. Ness, Chicago, Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Cook Electric Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application May 31, 1956, Serial No. 588,398 9 Claims. (Cl. ass-s This invention relates to an improved electrical component and connector and more particularly to an improved electrical device especially adapted for use as a phantom antenna and as an isolation pad in interconnecting various electrical devices.

-It iswell known that in interconnecting various electrical. devices maximum energy transfer with minimum spurious effects is accomplished by providing a perfect impedance match between the output of a source of electrical energy and the input to an associated load. To accomplish this desirable impedance match is relatively simple when handling direct currents or voltages having low fixed frequencies. It is extremely difficult, on the contrary, to provide satisfactory coupling between electrical devices or isolation of electrical devices at high frequencies or over a wide range of frequencies. Usually any such device shows substantial undesirable variations in the attenuation of the signal with variations in frequency and this renders the operation of the device unpredictable and unsatisfactory for use with broad band equipment. Also, at high frequencies, standing waves are generated on any line carrying a signal if that line is terminated in other than its characteristic impedance, or if the circuit has any substantial impedance discontinuities. Such standing waves are undesirable in that they indicate a loss' of power and generate distortion in the system. Such standing Waves are the result of an incident wave combined with reflected energy from a connector or other termination which is not properly matched to the source of energy and the connecting line.

It is therefore one object of this invention to provide an improved electrical connector providing optimum electrical characteristics over a wide frequency range.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved electrical device for interconnecting various sources of electrical energy and loads in which the attenuation of a signal passing therethrough is substantially constant irrespective of the amplitude or frequency thereof. Y

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved electrical connector, isolation pad and phantom antenna having an attenuation which is substantially constant over a range of frequencies from zero to 400 megacycles. It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved electrical connector which will produce a minimum voltage standing wave ratio over the range of frequencies from direct current to 400 megacycles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved phantom antenna and isolation pad which will have a voltage standing wave ratio of less than 1.5 to 1 over the frequency range of zero to 400 megacycles.

I It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved phantom antenna, isolation pad and electrical connector which will have an attenuation characteristic constant within i /z db over the range of frequencies from zero to 400 megacycles.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide an improved electrical couplin device incorporating a coaxial mounting of rigid electrical conductors and disc-like resistors in a conductive enclosure.

Further and additional objects of this invention will become manifest from a consideration of this specification, the acco mpanying drawings and the appended claims.

' In one form of this invention a phantom antenna and isolation pad is provided which is particularly adapted for coupling two radio transmitters capable of generating signals having frequencies within the range of zero to 400 megacycles to a receiver responsive to this range of signals.

More particularly, a phantom antenna is provided comprising a small conductive cube having a central cavity into which extend a plurality of rigid conductors. Each of the conductors is electrically isolated from the cubical housing and has a disc-like resistor secured in substantially normalrelationship thereto, the periphery of said resistors being electrically interconnected.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view partially in section of the embodiment of Fig. 1 with the cover plate removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of Fig. l with one connector portion thereof removed, taken on the line 3-3'of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the central portion of theembodiment of Fig. 1, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the connector forming a part of the embodiment of Fig. 1, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the electric circuit provided by the described embodiment.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1 an electrical connector, isolation pad and phantom antenna 10 are illustrated. The device has a central conductive housing 12 of generally cubic form appropriately apertured to receive a plurality of cover plates 14 with integral connectors 16. Each of the cover plates 14 is secured in place on the hollow housing 12 by a plurality of machine. screws 18 which engage corresponding threaded apertures 20 in the housing. In a preferred embodiment the housing is a one inch cube formed of alumi mum and appropriately machined.

In the particular embodiment described four connectors 16 are employed and these connectors enter the cavity in the housing 12 through four normally disposed faces of the cubical housing. An end cover 22 is employed to enclose the remaining open side of the cubical housing 12 and end cover 22 is similarly secured to the housing 12 by four machine screws 20'. The connectors 16 may be of any conventional type such as Cannon plugs or Amphenol connectors. In the particular embodiment described the connectors have threaded ends 24 to receive correspondingly threaded caps. Each of the connectors 16 has a central aperture therethrough which contains a sleeve 26 of high dielectric insulating material and a central rigid conductor 28.

The internal construction of the connectors 16 may best be seen in Fig. 2. The central rigid conductor 28 is molded in the sleeve 26 in such a manner that the inner portion extending into the cavity within housing 12 is spaced from the center thereof and the outer portion 30 is free of the molded sleeve. The inner ends of conductors 28 have a threaded recess and the outer ends are furcated to resiliently receive connecting pins 32. Pin 32 forms a part of a connecting lug 34 which has a threaded shell 36 adapted to engage the connector 16 and a molded insulating core 38 Which supports the central pin 32 and seals the entire connector against atmospheric conditions. The illustration of plug 34 is somewhat diagrammatic to better illustrate the principles involved and it will be clear that many plugs will be adapted for use with the disclosed device and that the plug will preferably be adapted for connection to a flexible conductor having an insulating cover 37.

Each connector 28 has a disc-like resistor 44 mounted on the inner end thereof. The inner end of each rigid conductor 28 has a central threaded aperture 40 into which a machine screw 42 is threaded. The machine screw passes through a central aperture in disc resister 44 to rigidly support the resistor 44 in position on the end of conductor 28 and to provide electrical communication therewith. A backing nut 43 may be threaded onto each screw 42 to properly lock and position the associated resistor 44. Each of the resistors 44 comprises a bonded assembly of a metallic peripheral ring 46, a central metallic ring 38 and an intermediate annulus 58 of a resistive material. Thus, resistance of the disc may be utilized between any point on the central ring 48 and any point on the peripheral ring 46. Such disc resistors are known to those skilled in this art and have good characteristics of stability and linearity over a substantial frequency range.

As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6, a central support 50 is formed on the single solid face of housing 12 and extends into the central cavity 52 of the housing. A disc resistor 54 is mounted on a spacer 56 adjacent to the support 5%. The disc-like resistor 54 is positioned on the support 58 by a machine screw 58 passing through the central aperture in the resistor 54- and threaded into support 51 The housing 12 will normally be grounded and thus the central ring 53 of resistor 54 will be the ground terminal of the phantom antenna. The peripheral ring will be interconnected with the remaining resistors.

In the illustrated embodiment, one of the connectors 16a has its central rigid conductor 28a connected directly to the periphery of disc resistor 54 by a bare conductor 60. This conductor 16a provides a test point whereby data may be taken concerning electrical characteristics such as standing waves and voltages present at the common periphery of the various disc resistors 44 and 54.

The electrical relationship between the various resistors and connectors is best seen in Fig. 7. There it can be seen that each of the disc resistors 44 has its central ring connected to the associated rigid conductors 28 and the outer rings thereof connected together at point 62 which corresponds to the periphery of the various resistors. nected to point 62 and its central terminal connected to ground support 50. The fourth connector has its cen tral rigid conductor 28a connected directly to the periphery of the various resistors by conductor 60 whereby a test point is provided. All of the peripheral connections may be made by conventional soldering techniques.

While the particular values to be selected in choosing resistors 44 and 54 will depend upon the anticipated use of the particular device, in one use two radio transmitters having a range of zero to 400 megacycles and an output impedance of approximately 52 ohms Were connected to a single .receiver capable of covering this frequency range and having an input impedance of approximately 52 ohms. In. connecting these devices together was found that optimum results were attained when eachof the resistors 44 had a value of 45 ohms and grounded resistor 54 had a value of 5 ohms. Under these conditions the attenuation of the described invention was less than one-half db over the frequency range Grounded resistor 54 has its periphery conof zero to 4-00 megacycles and the voltage standing ratio was less than 1.5-1 for the same frequency range.

While various modifications will appear to one skilled in this art, it is believed manifest than any structure incorporating the novel features described herein is clearly within the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, while the conductive housing and connectors described above are of aluminum and the dimensions of the cubical housing 12 are substantially one inch, the particular use to which the connector is put will determine the precise dimensions and components to be selected.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the character of our invention that others may, by applying current knowledge,'readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions of service, while retaining certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to us by the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing, a plurality of electrically isolated conductors entering the cavity in said housing, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, the central portion of said resistors being connected to the associated conductor, and a disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the central portion thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being connected together.

2. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing, a plurality of electrically isolated substantially rigid conductors entering the cavity of said housing, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically connected together.

3. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing, a plurality of electrically isolated substantially rigid conductors entering the cavity of, said housing, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive. ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

4. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing, a plurality of electrically isolated substantially rigid conductors entering the cavity of said housing in substantially normal relationship, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

5. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing having a centrally disposed conductive support extending into the cavity thereof, a plurality of electrically isolated substantially rigid conductors entering said cavity in substantially normal relationship, said conductors being substantially normal to said centrally disposed support, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normalthereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

6. An electrical connector comprising a hollow conductive housing having a centrally disposed conductive support extending into the cavity thereof, a plurality of electrically insulating sleeves secured to said housing and communicating with the cavity thereof, a plurality of rigid electrical conductors entering said cavity in substantially normal relationship, each of said conductors being disposed in one of said sleeves, said conductors being substantially normal to said centrally disposed support, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

7. An electrical connector comprising a generally rectilinear housing of electrically conductive material, said housing having a central cavity and a plurality of channels connecting the outer surfaces of said housing and said cavity, a central conductive support disposed in said cavity, a plurality of cover plates, each covering one of said channels and having a central aperture extending therethrough, an electrically insulating sleeve secured in each of said apertures, a plurality of substantially rigid conductors entering said cavity in substantially normal relationship, each of said conductors being disposed in one of said central apertures, said conductors being substantially normal to said centrally disposed support, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

8. A phantom antenna and isolation pad comprising a generally rectilinear housing of electrically conductive material, said housing having a central cavity and a plurality of channels connecting the outer surfaces of said housing and said cavity, a central conductive support disposed in said cavity, a plurality of cover plates, each covering one of said channels and having a central aperture extending therethrough, an electrically insulating sleeve secured in each of said apertures, a plurality of substantially rigid conductors entering said cavity in substantially normal relationship, each of said conductors being disposed in one of said central apertures, a connector associated with each of said rigid conductors for electrical connection to electric signal means, said conductors being substantially normal to said centrally disposed support, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

9. A phantom antenna and isolation pad comprising a generally rectilinear housing of electrically conductive material, said housing having a central cavity and a plurality of channels connecting the outer surfaces of said housing and said cavity, a central conductive support disposed in said cavity, a plurality of cover plates, each covering one of said channels and having a central aperture extending therethrough, an electrically insulating sleeve secured in each of said apertures, a plurality of substantially rigid conductors entering said cavity in substantially normal relationship, each of said conductors being disposed in one of said central apertures, a connector associated with each of said rigid conductor for electrical connection to electric signal means, each of said connectors comprising a conductive shell engageable with an associated cover plate, a central pin engageable with an associated rigid conductor, insulating material substantially filling said shell and isolating said pin therefrom, said conductors being substantially normal to said centrally disposed support, a disc-like resistor associated with each of said conductors, each disc-like resistor comprising a central conductive core, a coplanar peripheral conductive ring, and a resistive material disposed therebetween, each of said cores being connected to the associated conductor and supported substantially normal thereto, and a single disc-like resistor mounted in said housing, the core thereof being connected to said housing, the periphery of said disc-like resistors being electrically and mechanically connected together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,035,545 Green Mar. 31, 1936 2,557,122 Leiphart June 19, 1951 2,673,233 Salisbury Mar. 23, 1954 2,777,995 Henning Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 810,085 France Dec. 19, 1936 

